Hydration

How else would you carry three litres of water, tools, snacks and a spare jacket on your mountain bike? Mike Davis reviews four backpacks

Camelbak introduced its first hydration pack in the early 1990s. The idea of carrying water on your back instead of in bottles seemed outlandish at first. But it made sense for off-road riding. It's a lot easier to grab a tube and suck than get hold of a bottle on uneven ground, and a bottle carried on the frame is considerably more likely to end up covered in unpleasant substances thrown up by the wheels.